Facile Synthesis of Sulfobetaine-Stabilized Cu₂O Nanoparticles and Their Biomedical Potential

Abstract

A novel approach using a zwitterionic sulfobetaine-based surfactant for the synthesis of spherical copper oxide nanoparticles (Cu2O NPs) has been applied. For the first time, N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate has been used as stabilizer to control the size and morphology of Cu2O NPs. Several techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fluorescence spectroscopy, are used to investigate the size, structure, and optical properties of synthesized Cu2O nanocrystals. The results indicate that copper­(I) oxide nanoparticles with size in the range of 2 to 45 nm and crystalline structure, exhibit intense yellow fluorescence (λem = 575 nm). Furthermore, the cytotoxicity studies show that sulfobetaine-stabilized copper oxide nanoparticles prompt inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, however, the adverse effect on the normal cells has also been observed. The results indicate that the sulfobetaine-stabilized Cu2O, because of their unique properties, have a potential to be applied in medical fields, such as cancer therapy and bioimaging.

Fabrication of monodispersed copper oxide nanoparticles with potential application as antimicrobial agents

“…Besides other mechanisms, mechanism of action of copper oxide NPs against microbes includes generation of oxidative stress and tendency of copper nanoparticles to alternate between cupric, Cu(II) and cuprous, Cu(I) oxidation states, making it unique from other metal nanoparticles 18 . Especially, Cu 2 O nanoparticles are widely abundant and have been reported to show lower toxicity, good environmental acceptability and remarkable broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-superbug activity against a range of bacteria through generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and release of copper ions 22 – 25 . Zhou et al 25 reported remarkable antibacterial activity of Cu 2 O NPs on the superbugs “ methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)” and “ vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE ) ” after being loaded on ZrP nanosheet matrix.…”

“…However, the major limitation of metallic copper oxide particles in the nano-size range is lack of sufficient stability of their dispersions due to their strong tendency to aggregate and form larger clusters to reduce the energy associated with their high surface area 22,25,27 . The cluster formation is followed by rapid sedimentation leading to loss of reactivity and bactericidal applications in which a nanometric size is required 27 .…”

Se Atom‐Induced Synthesis of Concave Spherical Fe3O4@Cu2O Nanocrystals for Highly Efficient MRI–SERS Imaging‐Guided NIR Photothermal Therapy

“…These results indicate successful formation of core–shell structure of Fe 3 O 4 @Cu 2 O nanocrystals. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) characterization (Figure G) shows that concave spherical Fe 3 O 4 @Cu 2 O NCs match well with the standard of Fe 3 O 4 phase (JCPDS Cards: 26–1136) and Cu 2 O phase (JCPDS Cards: 34–1354) . The binding energies of Cu 2p, Fe 2p, and O 1s of resultant Fe 3 O 4 @Cu 2 O NCs were confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy.…”

Solanum Nigrum Leaf Extract Capped Copper Oxide Nanoparticles and its Tetrahedral L2Cu(ɳ2-BH4) Complex for Effective Degradation of Congo Red

“…The major limitation of nanoscale copper oxide particles is lack of su cient stability because of large energy associated with their high surface area of their dispersions and therefore they have strong tendency to aggregate and form larger clusters (Hotze et al 2010, Solioz 2018, Wozniak-Budych et al 2017, Zhou et al 2019. The cluster formation leads to rapid sedimentation which diminishes reactivity and activity of copper oxide, gained from nanomaterals size (Hotze et al 2010).…”